192 pages, inner pocket

240 pages, inner pocket

Bella is an indoor cat who lives inside a lighthouse and who has always imagined exploring the high seas. One day, Bella hops onto a sailboat and drifts away. . . . In this whimsical picture book, author-illustrator Ryan O'Rourke introduces lovable Bella, whose travels bring her to new friends and magical under-the-sea adventures and, ultimately, return her home. O'Rourke's distinctive artwork conveys the humor and curiosity of Bella and her friends, including a friendly whale and a wise octopus. Sea dogs and landlubbers alike will delight in the beautiful seascapes inspired by O'Rourke's summers on Cape Cod.

A tale of funny bunny money for Rosemary Wells's bestselling Max and Ruby! It's Grandma's birthday, and Ruby knows exactly what Grandma would love-a beautiful ballerina box. Max also knows what she'd love-a scary pair of ooey-gooey vampire teeth. Ruby has saved up a walletful of bills, but as unexpected mishap after mishap occurs, money starts running through the bunnies' fingers.... Will they have enough left for the perfect present? Wells' adorable story is also a fun and lively introduction to early math.

192 pages, inner pocket

A renowned authority on the secret world of opium recounts his descent into ruinous obsession with one of the world’s oldest and most seductive drugs, in this harrowing memoir of addiction and recovery. A natural-born collector with a nose for exotic adventure, San Diego–born Steven Martin followed his bliss to Southeast Asia, where he found work as a freelance journalist. While researching an article about the vanishing culture of opium smoking, he was inspired to begin collecting rare nineteenth-century opium-smoking equipment. Over time, he amassed a valuable assortment of exquisite pipes, antique lamps, and other opium-related accessories—and began putting it all to use by smoking an extremely potent form of the drug called chandu. But what started out as recreational use grew into a thirty-pipe-a-day habit that consumed Martin’s every waking hour, left him incapable of work, and exacted a frightful physical and financial toll. In passages that will send a chill up the spine of anyone who has ever lived in the shadow of substance abuse, Martin chronicles his efforts to control and then conquer his addiction—from quitting cold turkey to taking “the cure” at a Buddhist monastery in the Thai countryside. At once a powerful personal story and a fascinating historical survey, Opium Fiend brims with anecdotes and lore surrounding the drug that some have called the methamphetamine of the nineteenth-century. It recalls the heyday of opium smoking in the United States and Europe and takes us inside the befogged opium dens of China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. The drug’s beguiling effects are described in vivid detail—as are the excruciating pains of withdrawal—and there are intoxicating tales of pipes shared with an eclectic collection of opium aficionados, from Dutch dilettantes to hard-core addicts to world-weary foreign correspondents. A compelling tale of one man’s transformation from respected scholar to hapless drug slave, Opium Fiend puts us under opium’s spell alongside its protagonist, allowing contemporary readers to experience anew the insidious allure of a diabolical vice that the world has all but forgotten.

192 pages, inner pocket

Once upon a time there was a crocodile not just any old crocodile with big sharp teeth and powerful jaws, but a crocodile with the kindest of hearts that was gentle and sensitive, and dreamed of one day being a beloved pet in a happy family. Through the magic of a picture book and with an irrepressible desire to please, this ferocious-looking crocodile that tidies toys, washes dishes, and even fights monsters in bad dreams makes his own dream come true.

Angelina and her friends have to memorize and recite poems in front of the entire class. Angelina has no trouble with the assignment, but the same can't be said for her best friend Alice, who has a major case of tummy butterflies! Luckily, Angelina is there to help Alice overcome her fear—by putting her poem to a dance,

240 pages, inner pocket

Everyone has plans for baby Ellen. Buteven though she's just a babyEllen will do exactly as she pleases. Here is a heartwarming book for any family with a new baby, wishing for a new baby, and, most important of all, loving a new baby.

A green pea plant grows in a garden. Inside one pod, a small green pea decides that he is not going to be like all the other peas; he is going to be different. His journey leads him to meet a beautiful peacock, a ferocious tiger, and a noisy elephant. Each of these animals inspires Little Pea and he takes something from each of them back to the garden—but will the others accept Little Pea’s desire to be different? Full of humor and optimism, this touching story of a little pea is at once an adventure story and a celebration of uniqueness. The simple illustrations reinforce the strength and poetry of Battut’s signature style. Ages: 4–8.

Like most dogs, Jake loves playing fetch. Unlike most dogs, Jake loves music even more. He loves to wag his tail to the beat of an ordinary day and "sing" with the birds. When his friend Richie, the principal stagehand at the Philharmonic, brings Jake to work one day, Jake is treated to a lesson in real music. He "woofs!" to the tweeting woodwinds and "ruffs!" to the deep horns, but when he hears the entire symphony orchestra practice, he knows to be quiet and listen. And when a crisis develops at that night's performance, Jake steps onstage and steals the show.

240 pages, inner pocket

240 pages, inner pocket

192 pages, inner pocket

192 pages, inner pocket

When Jack and Annie got back from their adventure in Magic Tree House #4: Pirates Past Noon, they had lots of questions. Did pirates really make people walk the plank? What was life like on a pirate ship? Is there any buried treasure around today? Argh! How do you talk like a pirate? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie track the facts.

Bugs bite, drink blood, and rob food from gardens and fields. They can even kill plants, animals, and, occasionally, people. Is bugging a crime? Alexandra Siy compiles "rap sheets" on several of the major categories of bugs and takes a very close look at some of the types of insects in an engaging text. The fascinating photo micrographs magnify insect parts from 10 to 300,000 times their actual sizes. this kid-friendly approach, coupled with meticulous research and lively writing, turns learning about insects into an intriguing experience.

192 pages, inner pocket

A funny and affectionate look at all the things your parents do for you. It's not all tidying up and making you brush your teeth ...

You may think your parents just boss you around and tell you what to do. And there's no getting away from it - they do have to do quite a lot of that! But there's so much more to them - did you realise they are also tent poles for dens that are wonky, dustbins for bits you don't want to eat up and grandstands to make you grow tall?

192 pages, inner pocket